Call centers have been used for decades to centralize the process of calling a number of related parties from a physical location or multiple physical locations where a number of telephone agents work, or to handle incoming calls where a large volume of calls is expected. Call centers may handle such services as help desk, customer support, lead generation, emergency response, telephone answering service, inbound response, and outbound telemarketing. In order to assist call center agents, a number of technologies have been developed to assist in the operation and management of these call centers. This includes automated dialers that place outgoing calls using records retrieved from a database, as well as software to distribute information about each called party or incoming calling party for display at work stations where agents are located.
The agents in call centers are trained to handle as many calls as possible while meeting corporate goals in areas such as service quality, customer understanding, and regulation compliance. Since a call center is often a large operation, often manned by a large management chain and sometimes operated by a subcontractor, monitoring and modifying the agents' behavior is a complex and sensitive task. However, operating a call center that treats customers respectfully and meets their needs is important because the call center is often perceived as a reflection of the capabilities of a corporation.